Contribution to the knowledge of affinities of traditional medicine of Bantu of high and low lands in the territories of Beni and Lubero

Abstract

The investigations were conducted during 2012 on the Nande Bantu ethnic majority in the villages of Beni and Lubero territories which are located in North Kivu province in the eastern part of Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Thus 6 villages in the zone of high altitude and 6 others in the zone of low altitude have been chosen randomly, by taking the farthest ones among them. Two-hundred and forty (240) persons were interviewed in 12 villages; 120 persons in each agro-climatic zone. In spite of the investigation, 309 species have been recorded, among these, 15 species treat at least 10 different diseases, such as: Allium sativum, Allium cepa, Aloe vera, Bidens pilosa, Carica papaya, Citrus limon, Conyza sumatrensis, Crassocephalum montuosum, Dichrocephala integrifolia, Elaeis guineensis, Erythrina abyssinica, Persea americana, Plantago palmata, Ricinus communis and Solanum aculeastrum. Plants in the family of Asteraceae are the most represented or (26%), followed by Alliaceae (13%). Two species were cited in more than 5 villages in low and high altitude, namely: C. limon and R. communis. In terms of the diseases treated by the species, 4 species are the most interesting such as: A. sativum and C. limon (26 diseases for each), R. communis (24) and A. vera (20). Key words: Plants, popular traditional medicine, Bantus, high and low altitude, Beni and Lubero.